Luminous time lapse traffic signal



Aug. 30, 1949. M. J. FEIN y LUMINoUs TIME LAPsE TRAFFIC SIGNAL 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. l5, 1947 R. w m m mw. a. .u w. L tm r/ i. .m lMw Aug. 3o, 1949. lM, EN 2,480,290

LUMINOUS TIME LAPSE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Oct. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2li- I gNVENToR.

WELL J. FEW

Patented Aug. 30, 1949 LUMINoUs 'rma LAPsE TRAFFIC siGNAL Maxwell'v J.Fein, New vork, N. Y. Y Appncatin oet-ober 15, 1947, serial No. 779,958'

L This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trac-controlsignalling devices. Such devices are used at busy street androadintersections, and asnow generally employed incorporate Stop and Gosignals, usually electrically operated from a control station centrallyfunctioning relative to all the devices in the system. For predeterminedperiods or cycles of time, the Gofa'nd IStop signals, commonlyrespectively colored green and red, are alternatelydisplayed relative.to a certain path of traffic movement; andV in such manner that whilethe green signals, are giving the right of Way to traflic kheaded ineither of the two directions in which such signals face, the red signalsare displayed to arrest trail-lc which*4 otherwise would travel in the.two direc` tionsfaced by the red signals and Which intersect the twoformer directions.

Early in the development of such signalling (iek vices, a third. signalwas used, this an amber or yellow one, to :signify caution. Followingthe termination of each giving of red or green signals relative totraffic at av road orY street intersection,

and beforereversal of the signals tochange the,

directions of ,traillc iloW, the caution signals Were displayed.Practice apparently proved, however, that. the use of Isuch cautionsignals wasy not advantageous. With signalling devices as now generallyused and having only redvand green sig'- nals, the change-over from a Gro'to a Stop indication, and vice versa, is abrupt and sudden, and ofconsiderable inconvenience andeven hazardous to pedestrians.

y.According to the present invention,` there is added to a signallingdevice havingv Go and Stop` signals, an rauxiliary signalling means forprogressively changing' to give notification of thel time remainingbefore' said signals Will reverse; that is, to give notice, topedestrians particularly, of the time remaining in Which to make asafecrossing. Its purposeis to reduce pedestrian accident hazard by enablingpedestrians to judge Whether or not there is. ample time for crossingbefore trailc resumes transverse to their intended.

path of crossing, and in this way to reduce the zciaims. (o1. 17T-33761missible movement of a then prevailing .move` ment of traic willterminate.

.The cardinal objectof the present invention, however, isy tofprovide`an improved meansforj giving such a warning notification of relativetime-elapse, and lone such that it' isv `not ,only luminous but ofexceptionally high visibility, both day andy night, but also readilyunderstood because it', is self-explanatory to all pedestrians andmotorists. i ,Y ,i

Another object is to provide a relatively simple, highly eilicient andpracticable governing meansY for the warning notification, yet agoverning means practicably actuable from'the central stationaforesaid.' i

A further object is to provide a Warning notifi-l cation withoutmovingparts, and one the func-Y tioning elements of which comprisesolelya plulikelihood of being caught part way in such path,l

remaining `before a given cycle or period of per-- rality ofincandescent bulbsior the like, in combination withdependable means forenergizing the Vsame one after another in such ,manner that rst one ofsaid lamps or thelike will be energized, nextsaidlamp and another willbe energizedynextthree yof them will all be energized, and so on,'u`ntilallof them are energizedat the start 'of the'last predetermined fractionof the period orcycle of Stop and Go signalling which then prevails, f tI For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages'thereof, reference will be had to the'following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to theappended claims in'Which the variousnovel features of the inventionare more particularly set forth. i

' Inthe accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:f 'i Fig. 1 is a yperspective 'View showing atraiiic signallingdevice'pursuant to the invention.

v Fig; -2 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken substantially on the`line 22 of Figjl.

Fig. 3, partially 'an electrical diagram, shoWsa now favored arrangementof mechanisms and associated electric circuit connections for operatingvthe device according to the invention. f Fig.4v 4 is an' enlargedfragmentary View, illustrating more clearly certain ofthe parts of Fig;v3,"and particularly a sticking magnet in self-lock; ing condition. "1

Fig. 5 is a similar View, illustrating more clearly certain other partsof Fig. 3, these parts identical in nature, with the parts of Figml,but-with the magnet deenergized. j v I Fig. 6 is a development of thecircuit-modifying circumferential periphery'oi one of a pair of likecommutators shown in perspective in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, theillustrated device is shown as conventionally including a signal box I0at the top of a pedestal or column II, such box having four sides inplanes 90 apart; each such side, as shown in the case of the two thereofseen in Fig. 1, having an upper signal I2 or I2 which when operativesignifies Stop and a lower signal I4 or I4 which when operative signiesGo.

In the type of signalling device illustrated, the four Stop signals areflashed on by the energization of an incandescent bulb for each, behinda pane of red glass; and when such red signals are olf, the four Gosignals are ashed on by the ener` gization of an incandescent bulb foreach, behind a pane of green glass. Thus, in said'box are eightincandescent bulbs, each suitably pocketed from the others; these bulbsbeing shown in Fig. 3, where those for giving Stop signals are marked Rand those for giving Go signals are markedvG.

The' lapsed-time signalling means of the invention is shown as in anauxiliary vertically elongatdcoating I5, secured by brackets I6 to thecolumn I I. Said casing, like the box I0', is shown Similarly, thecurrent supply through the wire 21 is for energizing the two R lamps andthe two G lamps in the lower group thereof in Fig. 3, and foreifectuating during this period of energization of said four R and Glamps the same sequence of progressive energization of more and more ofthe lamps of the Y series as explained in the paragraph preceding.

Interposed in the wires 26 and 21 are, respectively, a solenoid 2 9 andasole'noid 29', each served by a spring 3|] or 30 for restoring itsarmature 3l or 3l to the position shown for the latter when suchsolenoid is deenergized (immediately, as hereinafter explained)following energization thereof by change of current supply from the wire26 to the wire 21 or vice versa.

Like inexpensive clockwork timers 32 and 32 are of a familiar type,such, for instance, as are multiply used in the are of coin-operatedamusement4 apparatus; each having a lever 33 or 33 as square inhorizontal section; so that said casi1'- intora plurality of sectionsone above another. In

th present case, there are, for example, at veacli of the four sides ofthecasin'g I5, seven of said.sec' tiens au aiike iii size, and` marked Il, la, lei, zo, 2|, 22 and 23 in the CaSe Of th Signalling area t0 theleft inrFig..1. i l

A Said signalling-area sections, and simultaneoislythecorresponding onesat the otherthre sidespf the casing I5, are effective whenilliiinihated`to show, for instance, an amber or yellow edler, by virtue of thecasing is being subdivided by horizontal partitions 2a inte Asevencompari;- rnents one above anothr, with each of the four sides of.,eachcompartment carrying as indicated in Fig. 2 a pane of yyello/w glasss'uitzibllr secured in place, and by virtue lofthere being in each siichcompartment an incandescent bulb`25r. As will be iinderstod, there areseven of such bulbs, these indicated respectively at Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5,Yv and YY in Fig. 3.

Referring now tosaid Figl, a systerri for automaticallyL operating thefour lights R, the four lights G, and the seven lights of the Y series,in accordance with mere reversals of a master controller ofsmple-switchutype (not shown), at

some central station forthevarous signalling devices in thetracvcontrolsystem. i

From such central stationmerely threewires 25,( 21 anc- 1 28, extend toeach signalling device. The wire `2B is a return wire, while the wires26 and 21 are for alternate use in supplying current.,.Suchrcurrentthrough the wire 25 is lfor ener-A gizing the two R lampsand the two G lamps in the upper group thereof in Fig. 3, and for effecftuating a cycle of operations during the period `of energiaation of saidfour R and G lamps, these operations being relative to the lamps of theY series, and in such manner that during the first one-seventh of thetime interval allotted for ehergizatien of said R and G lamps, the lampYi win be energized, during the next ene-seventh er said time interval,the Y1 and Y2 lamps will be energizjeu, arid so eri, until, during theisst ene-seventh of said time interval, all the lamps of the Y 'serieswill be energited.

which, when released after being forcibly quickly fractionallyhrotatedin a direction to wind up a spring in the timer, is by said springslowly rotated in the reverse direction back to normal position.

The lever 33 is shown as in Said normal position, while the lever 33 isshown as having just completed its forcibly effected fractionalrotation, by thrust of the armature 3l consequent upon energization ofthe solenoid 29. i A

Now the energization of solenoid 29 or 29 is merely for a fraction of asecond, consequent upon change of current supply from the wire 26 to thewire 21or vice versa, and this despite continued current flow throughthe wire responsible for said energization, will be, as just said, `explained later; the means for accomplishing this being the holding relaysM and M' of Figs. 3, 4 and 5. n y

l At an end of each lever 33 or 33' is a gear segment 34 or 34', meshingwith a pinion 35 or 35 xe'd to a suitably journalled shaft 36 or 36 onwhich also is fixed a controller drum 31 or 31';

, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that duringslowtimer-,spring effected movement of a lever 33 or 33 from the positionshown for trie fermer te the pesitiensiiewri fer melatten the`controller drum 31or 31' rotate through 360.

The solenoids, the timers, and the operative connections between thelatter and the commutators are duplicates,` as are the controller drums.Therefore, it will suce to describe only the controller drum 31, inwhich connection attention is directed to Fig. 6.

In Fig. 6, the eight vertical dotted lines 38 sube divide thecircumference of the controller drum into seven equal parts. The twoupper contact rings 39 and 4D are each unbroken and continuous allaround the controller drum. Below the ring 40, each of six contactsegments 4i, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 4S, as they progress downward, isshorter than the segment immediately above by one-Seventh of suchcircumference.

VSeparate brushes 41, 48, 49, 5U, 5I, 52, 53 and 54 engage,respectively, the contact rings 39 and 40 and the contact segments 4I,42, 43, 44, 45 and 4S.

The coil of the solenoid 29 at one end is cnnected to the wire 26, andthrough the contacts of holding relay M by a lead 55, and its other endis connected by the lead 56 to' the return wire 28. The correspondingconnections, for the solenoid 29', are a lead 55' from the wire 21 an'dthroughthe contacts of holding relay M', and'av lead 56'v to said returnwire.

Also from'the wire 26 a lead 58 goes to a rilxed contact y59, thecorresponding lead andy contact in the case of the supply wire 21 beingrespectively marked 58' and 59'. The contact 59 or 59'y is forengagement with a contact 60 or 60', being these on the lower ends ofthe armatures of the solenoids'29 and 29. From the contact 60 a lead 6|extends tothe brush 41 for the contact ring 39 of the controller drum31; while from the contact 60 a leadvVextends tothe corresponding brushof the controller drum 31'.

1 In the case of the solenoid 29, for instance, the energization thereofto snap the lever 33 to the position shown, although this is effectiveto` rotate the commutator-81 in a direction opposite to that ofvthearrow marked thereon, is ineiective to energize the' brushf41,v becausethe contacts 5,9A

and 60 are separated. However, immediately on Y ginning of currentsupply throughwthe wire 26,

and f substantially simultaneously with the beginning of rotation of thecontroller drum 31 in the direction ofthe arrow marked thereon, acircuit for the Y series lamps is closed.; such circuit including thewire 26, the leads55 and? 58the contacts 59/and 60, thelead 6|, thebrush 41, the contact ring 39, a conductive bridge 64 inside thecommutator from said ring to the segmentr40,

said segment, the brush 48, alea'd 65, the lamp Y1, anda leadv66 to-thereturn'wire 28.

With the controller drum 31 rotating in the direction of the arrow shownthereon in Fig. 3, the development of Fig. 4 may be considered as movingin the direction of the arrowr61 there shown. rotation, by way of thecircuit just detailed, only the lamp Y1 will be energized. During theneXt seventh part of commutator rotation, the brush 49 interposes aparallel circuit including a lead 68 going to the lamp Y2, and so duringthis part of the cycle of current supply to the wire 26, both y thelamps Y1 and Y2 will be energized. Similarly,

and by progressive coming into play of the brushes 5|) through 54, thelamps Y3 to YV, inclusive are successively and cumulatively energized,each through its own parallel circuit including one of the leads through14, respectively, during the succeeding seventh parts of said cycle, rstthe three lamps Y1, Y2 and Y3 being energized, neXt the four lamps Y1through Y1, next the ve lamps Y1 through Y5, next the six lamps Y1through Y6, and next all the seven lamps of the Y series.

If the period during which both the upper group of two R. lights and twoG lights of Fig. 3, and the lower group of such R and G lights in thatView, are to be alternately energized, is, for instance, two -minutesand twenty seconds, then the Y1 lamp only will be energized during theiirst twenty seconds of said period, while the other lamps of the Yseries will seriatim be energized, the energization of each startingtwenty seconds later than the last one thereof previously energized.

During the rst seventh part of suchA 1 When throw-over of current supplyfrom the Wire 26 to the wire 21 is effected, the operation of the -partsassociated with the wire 21, having the same reference. characters asthe parts associated with the vwire 26 except for the addition f ofprimes, should be clear from what has already are as aforesaid forterminating energization of a.

solenoid 29 01u29.' vimmediately vfollowing energization rthereofby'athrow-over as above, the arrangements auxiliary to and the circuitconnections for the relayM only will `be described, as the correspondingelements in regard to the relay M' will' then be readily understood fromthe` drawing. Y

The relay M is for breaking the supply of current to the solenoid 29,instantly Yupon full down stroke of the latters armature 3| on eachinitiation of current supply from the wire 26. This is effected by theclosing of two normally spaced contacts and 15, momentarily broughttogether by a non-magnetic-metal lower exten.- sion fromsaid armature;thereby to energize the relay M throughr a 'circuit including the wire2B, a lead v11, the said contacts 15 and16, a lead 18,

' the coil of the relay, and a lead 19 to the return This energizationof the relay M breaks the current supply to the coil of the solenoid 29,by attracting, as the armature ofthe magnet, the movable member of aswitch interposed in the lead-55, suchl switch being normally heldclosed by a spring 80'.

The relay M is a holding relay, there being between the same and themember 88 a spring metal blade 8|, having a resilient set such and beingso mounted that normally it lies as indicated in the case of thecorresponding blade 8|'. On energization of the relay M, however, theparts associated therewith corresponding to the parts associated withthe relay M', normally arranged as the latter parts are shown in Fig. 5,become arranged as in Fig. 4; that is, the blade 8| is brought againstthe contact 82.

Instantly when this occurs, even though at about that instant thecontacts 59 and 68 separate due tordeenergization of the solenoid 29,and thereby to break the above described energizing circuit for therelay M, a substitute energization circuit for said relay isestablished; said substitute circuit including the wire 26, the lead 11,a lead 83, the contact 82, the blade 8|, a lead 84 to the coil of themagnet, and the lead 19 to the return lead 28.

'I'he relay M similarly operates, on the start of an impulse of currentfrom the wire 21; as will be clear when it is noted that the parts ofFig. 5 corresponding to those shown Vin Fig, 4 are given the samereference characters but with primes added.

As will be noted from Fig. 3, the brushes 48 through 54 of thecommutator 31 are, by way of the leads 85, 86, 81, 88, 89, 90 and 9|, inparallel connection with the brush 41" and the other brushes of thecommutator 31'; so that whether the current supply is from the wire 26or fromv 7. the Wire 21, with a consequent functioning of the controllerdrum 3l or 31', the Y series of lamps will be progressively lighted asabove described, and will remain so this during continued energizationof the upper or lower group of R and G lamps in Fig. 3, according ascurrent supply is then from the wire 26 or the wire 21.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Patent is:

1. In a trafiic signal control system, a set oi electric main signallamps, a bank of auxiliary signal lamps in parallel with the main signallamps, a supply conductor and a return conductor, the latter beingconnected to one side of both the main signal lamps and the auxiliarysignal lamps, a controller drum having a plurality of brushes connectedindividually to the other side of the auxiliary signal lamps, aconductor from the other side of the main signal lamps to the supplyconductor, a switch connected o'n one side to the conductor from themain signal lamps and on the other side to the controller drum, anelectro-magnet having a coil and an armature for operating said switch,biasing means for returning said armature to normal position, a holdingrelay having sets of normally open and normally closed contacts, anoperating circuit for the coil of said electro-magnet from the supplyconductor, through the normally closed contacts of said holding relay tothe return conductor, a second switch closed by the armature of saidelectro-magnet in its operated position, and a holding circuit for saidholding relay from the supply conductor, through the second switch, thenormally open contacts of the holding relay to the return conductor.

2. In a trac signal control system, two sets of electric main signallamps, a bank of auxiliary lamps in parallel with the sets of mainsignal lamps, two supply conductors and a return conductor, the latterbeing connected to one side of both sets of the main signal lamps and tothe auxiliary lamps, a conductor from the other side of the first set oimain signal lamps to the rst supply conductor, a conductor from theother side of the main set of signal lamps to the second supplyconductor, a pair of controller drums each having a plurality ofbrushes, the respective brushes of one drum being connected in parallelwith the brushes of the other drum and individually to the other side ofthe auxiliary signal lamps, a rst switch connected on one side to theconductor from the rst bank of main signal lamps and on the other sideto the first controller drum, an electro-magnet having an armature foroperating said iirst switch and its coil connected across the firstsupply and return conductors, a second switch connected on one side tothe conductor from the second bank of main signal lamps, a secondelectro magnet having an armature for operating said second switch andits coil connected across the second supply and return conductors.

MAXWELL J. FEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file othis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,866,899 Minier July 12, 19322,238,510 Stewart Apr. l5, 1941

